Song for Melissa’ recalls the compassion and loss of murdered Randolph woman

Friday

Oct 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMOct 30, 2009 at 8:59 AM

Quincy’s Chris Pahud doesn’t write songs very often, but when he was asked to write one by the father of a murdered local woman, Melissa Gosule, he couldn’t say no. The 27-year-old Randolph native was murdered when her car broke down in Bourne and she sought help from a stranger in 1999. Her killer had more than 20 prior criminal offenses. The case prompted the passage of “Melissa’s Bill,” which removes the possibility of parole for offenders after three felony convictions. (Open the story to hear the song,)

Stephen A. Ide

Folk music touches people in very personal ways. Quincy’s Chris Pahud, a deep baritone singer and song interpreter, says he doesn’t write songs very often. But when he was asked to write a song by the father of a murdered local woman, Melissa Gosule, Pahud couldn’t say no.

Pahud wrote “Song for Melissa” with the help of Melissa’s father, Les Gosule, and musician friend Jim Ryan. The song is on Pahud’s newest CD, “Red Sky in Morning” (www.myspace.com/chrispahud).

Melissa Gosule, a 27-year-old Randolph native who lived in Jamaica Plain, had been raped and murdered when her car broke down in Bourne and she sought help from a stranger in July 11, 1999.

Melissa Gosule

Michael Gentile had more than 20 prior criminal offenses when he was charged with her rape and murder, and he now is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The case prompted the passage of “Melissa’s Bill,” which removes the possibility of parole for offenders after three felony convictions.

“Her dad had approached me at a Java Jo’s (East Milton) gig in the winter before the anniversary of her murder and asked me if I would write a song for her memorial coming up in July,” Pahud said. “I told him that songwriting was not my forte, but he really wanted me to do it. How could I refuse?”

So Pahud went about writing the song. “The melody came to me in a dream along with the basic verses. We met again and he commented that many of my words were what he used in his eulogy for her,” Pahud said.

(Click arrow to hear the song)

Song for Melissa

We’re gathered here together in remembrance of you

Your kindness and your goodness, your spirit shinin’ through

All that you stood for, so strong, so true

Compassion for others less fortunate than you.

Sleepless nights, didn’t know what to do

We were learning to live without you

How could we find hope, our hearts torn in two

How could we see again the world as once did you

Life to the fullest was the path you did pursue

Thoughts turned into actions was the wealth you would accrue

We have come together, hope you know it’s true

We’re still learning to live without you

We would give everything to see you once anew

But we’re still learning to live without you

Life to the fullest was a path you did pursue

Thoughts turned into actions was the wealth you would accrue

And we’re still learning to live without you

Read more on Steve Ide's blog, Folk, Bluegrass & Traditional Music

“I had a deadline to finish it and I had to perform it with Phil Kissinger at her memorial in front of family and friends … I further tweaked the words and my friend Jim Ryan ‘gifted’ me the lyrics that became the chorus.”

The song later was presented to The Compassionate Friends, a group of people who have lost children. “It sort of went off like a bomb for some people. I got some moving letters,” Pahud said.

Before further distributing the song, he opted to polish the lyrics. And though he wrote a poetically “better” version of the song, he said, he dropped those new lyrics when woman who had lost two children said to him “‘Yes, the new lyrics are better and more poetic, but those are not the words we use amongst ourselves when we get together and talk about our dead children. We use words like you used originally.’ Who was I to argue with that?” Pahud said.

The song features Seth Connelly on piano and mandolin.

The Patriot Ledger

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